Turkey caller



Jan. 31, 1961 D. v. WARREN, JR

TURKEY CALLER Filed Aug. 28 1958 INVENTOR D-Y- WARREMJR.

FIG.5

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent TURKEY CALLER Drew V. Warren, Jr., P.O. Box 117, Lake Monroe, Fla.

Filed Aug. 28, 1958, Ser. No. 757,754

2 Claims. (Cl. 46-180) This invention relates to sports, the participation therein, the equipment employed, and particularly to hunting and the devices used in the stalking and bagging of game.

The invention relates especially to devices for attracting game by simulating the sounds made by such game and including a turkey caller or sound producer designed to emit the call of turkeys or the like.

Turkey callers heretofore produced have not been satisfactory, being cumbersome, not producing a realistic reproduction of the sound of a turkey, or not being easily carried, and of material which would cause damage to the flexible membrane or was cold to the touch.

It is an object of the invention to overcome the difficulties enumerated and to provide a relatively simple and inexpensive turkey caller, the proper use of which can be quickly acquired so that a sound simulating the call of a turkey can be safely and repeatedly reproduced.

Another object of the invention is to provide a turkey caller of a minimum number of parts, of plastic and an elastic membrane, and which can be conveniently carried in the shirt pocket.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective illustrating one application of the invention;

Fig. 2, a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3, a section on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Briefly stated the invention comprises three principal parts, namely, a relatively small plastic cylinder the ends of which are open, an elastic membrane fastened across a portion of one end of this cylinder under tension or stretched condition and a removable plastic cap fitted over the end of the cylinder for retaining the membrane in place. The cap has an opening through which air can be forced against the membrane and into the cylinder causing the membrane to emit sound. The opening in the cap is slightly smaller than a semi-circle and the membrane is slightly larger than the opening 50 that it overlies the same. The top of the cap may be provided with a mouthpiece of the general shape of a ducks bill, and on the rim of the cap there is located a rib to assist in removal of the cap.

With continued reference to the drawing the turkey caller of the present invention comprises a cylinder of plastic or other inexpensive material with a cap '11 having an annular flange 12 adapted to fit snugly over end of the cylinder 10, such cap having a finger engaging projection or tab 13 to aid in the removal of the cap.

In order to produce the desired sound to simulate that given by wild turkey or other creatures the cap is provided with an opening 14 slightly smaller than a semicircle and a membrane of relatively thin elastic material 15 is secured by said cap beneath the same over said opening. The elastic material only slightly overlaps the edge of the opening and is under tension so that when the user blows through the opening 14 a sound will be reproduced by the elastic membrane. By changing the tension on the membrane different sounds and tonal eflects can be produced.

If desired, to assist in holding the device ready for use the cap may be provided with a mouthpiece 16 of the general shape of a ducks bill.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the device of the present invention may be readily produced from a sleeve across the end of which is stretched a membrane and over which a cap is placed, the cap having an opening slightly smaller than a semi-circle and the membrane being of the same general extent as such opening so that when air is blown through the opening against said membrane sound will be produced. Also the device can be produced for a very small amount and in fact for only a fraction of what prior devices have cost.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is illustrated in the drawing and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A turkey caller comprising a hollow tube having a transverse opening at one end and an opening remote therefrom for the free escape of air passing through the ,tube from the said one end, a wall extending across said transverse opening and having a substantially straight free edge substantially bisecting said opening, said wall covering approximately one-half of the opening, and an elastic member mounted under tension across the other approximately one-half of the opening not covered by said wall, said member having a substantially straight free edge extending substantially parallel to the free edge of the wall and slightly therebeneath and approximately bisecting said opening, whereby the free edge of said wall overlaps the free edge of said elastic member permitting the latter to flex inwardly of the opening.

2. The invention of claim 1 in which the wall is formed by the end wall of a cap mounted over the end of the member, said cap having an opening on one side corresponding to the area of the opening not covered by the said wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 795,493 Ditto July 25, 1905 1,146,640 Miller July 13, 1915 1,856,164 Kelly May 3, 1932 2,417,480 Friedman May 18, 1947 2,560,895 Roth July 17, 1951 2,710,487 Scott June 14, 1955 2,714,275 Proll Aug. 2, 1955' 

